Humana publishes some procedure prices in Wisconsin online

The insurer wants to make consumers more aware of the cost of care.

By Jonathan G. Bethely, AMNews staff. March 27, 2006.

Milwaukee vascular surgeon John D. Riesch, MD, says he's happy to have another tool at his disposal to help patients manage their medical care -- a price list.

"You go buy a car, the price is listed," Dr. Riesch said. "Why shouldn't the cost of these procedures be listed?"

About 44,000 members of one of Humana's new health plans in Milwaukee will have access to the estimated costs for 31 inpatient and six outpatient operations and tests at area hospitals.

Humana's national accounts director, Tom James, MD, said the prices posted on the Web site are estimates of the total cost -- hospital plus physician costs -- for an entire episode of care. The listed price includes the consumer's and the insurer's shares, lumped into one number.

Humana said it consulted with hospitals and physicians to nail down the most accurate cost estimates for procedures listed on the Web site. For instance, Humana lists a colonoscopy ranging from $940 to $1,150 at one hospital up to $2,890 to $3,530 at another. The price of a C-section can range from $9,400 at one hospital to $14,250 at another.

Dr. James said Humana is testing the price list in the Milwaukee area, but this year other states will be able to view price lists for some of the most common medical procedures.

That Humana is publishing the prices of these procedures is largely due to a plan pushed by the Business Health Care Group of Southeast Wisconsin, a collection of the region's largest employers formed three years ago to find relief from rising health care costs.